Posts Tagged ‘Balsamic Vinegar’

I’ve been meaning to make this soup for quite awhile now. Since last June, in fact, when I tasted it at a conference in Washington D.C. I’d never had white asparagus before, and it tasted so good and creamy in soup form. Plus, add goat cheese to anything and I’m a goner. Anyway, it’s a rainy and cold day, so I figured today would be the perfect time to post this recipe. Since I only knew that the original recipe contained white asparagus and goat cheese, I kept it pretty basic.

A fair warning though- white asparagus MUST be peeled before eating. As I had never worked with this variation of asparagus before, I was unaware until I started chopping it up and came away with long, woody pieces. So yes, there is a bit of prep required for this recipe. Luckily for me, I was in the middle of my 13 Reasons Why Netflix binge while peeling. Made the process so much easier as I was sympathizing with Clay while having ill thoughts about several of the other characters the whole time. Most addicting show ever.

White Asparagus Goat Cheese Soup

1 lb white asparagus, PEELED and chopped into 1 inch-sized pieces

1 large onion, chopped

3 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)

2 cups water

2 oz goat cheese

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper, to taste

Garnish: chives

Directions:

Add the asparagus, onion, broth, and water to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let cook for 20 minutes. With an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Add in the goat cheese, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir until the goat cheese has melted. Top individual bowls with chives before serving.

Hello, all! It’s been a busy last few weeks. I finished my student teaching experience and got a job as a long-term sub position as a 5th grade science and social studies teacher. Friday night I collapsed in to bed and slept for a full 12 hours… I haven’t slept that much since high school!

Anyway, really exciting news! I GOT MY PLACEMENT FOR TEACHING IN THAILAND! I’ll be teaching K-2 grade English in Chonburi City, which is a coastal city located right on the Gulf of Thailand! I can’t even describe how excited I am! More on this to come soon.

In the meantime, a simple, yet delicious recipe. I always forget how good food tastes when roasted. Need to remember to roast more often… Anyway, the seasoning makes this an awesome side dish. Add in the crunch of the cashews, and you’re in heaven.

Oven Roasted Green Beans and Mushrooms with Cashews

Ingredients:

12 oz of green beans, washed and trimmed

2 large portobello mushrooms, cubed

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp dried sage

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

pepper, to taste

2 tbsp avocado oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 handful of cashews

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine and mix all of the ingredients. Transfer to a roasting pan and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Afterwards, sprinkle with cashews and serve.

Pears kinda freak me out. There’s just something about them… I think it’s the texture. Every time I bite into one, I expect the crispiness of an apple and instead get this… grainy texture? I don’t know. Call me weird if need be.

But, when cooked down a bit, the texture issue goes away and sudden it’s like I’m eating apple pie/crisp. It’s amazing how much liquid comes out of pears when cooked down. I almost drained it all, but realized just in time that it makes for an awesome sauce for this dessert/snack -like recipe.

Balsamic Cinnamon Pears (Paleo)

Ingredients:

1 tsp ghee

2 pears, peels and chopped into small pieces

1/2 tbsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Melt ghee in a small pot. Add in pears and cook until pear juice is released and the pears are heated (5 minutes). Add in cinnamon and salt and stir until all combined. Take off heat and mix in balsamic vinegar. Serve.